Adjustable escapement mechanism for delivering workpieces



Ju y 1965 A. .11. vmlmmms ETAL 3,197,054

ADJUSTABLE ESCAPEMENTI MECHANISM DELIVERING WORKPIECES Filed Marh a, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m E Q Q INVENTORS ANDREW J. WA/TK/NS A TTORNEY y 27, 1965 A. J. WAlTKlNS ETAL 3,197,064

ADJUSTABLE ESCAPEMENT MECHANISM FOR DELIVERING WORKPIECES Filed March 8, 1963 2mSheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR. ANDREW J. WA/TK/A/S w BY RALPH B YER A TTORNEY United States Patent M 3,197,064 ADJUSTABLE ESCAPEMENT MECHANISM FUR DELIVERING WORKPIECES Andrew J. 'Waitlrins, East Detroit, and Ralph Beyer,

Fraser, Mich, assignors to F. 505. Lamb Company, De-

treit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Mar. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 263,999 9 Claims. (Cl. 221-207) This invention relates to improvements in metering escapements for attachment to runways.

It is an object of the invention to provide a metering escapement adapted to be secured to a runway, and including two longitudinally spaced blades and means for moving them simultaneously so that each blade in turn is positioned to prevent the passage of workpieces past it along the runway while the other is positioned to permit workpieces to flow past it therealong. Thus, in one position of the blades, the front onethat is the blade nearer the discharge end of the runwayobstructs the flow of workpieces past it while the rear blade is positioned to allow other workpieces to pass it until the portion of the runway between the blades is filled, after which the rear blade is moved to its runway obstructing position and the front one to its position to permit workpieces between it and the rear blade to continue their forward flow.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a metering escapement including means for adjusting the spacing between the blades to approximately that required to allow a predetermined number of workpieces to accumulate on the runway between the blades when the front blade is positioned to obstruct their flow past it and the rear blade is positioned to allow workpieces to flow past it towards the front blade.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a metering escapement including means for exactly adjusting the spacing between the blades so that the distance is just suflicient to admit the desired number of workpieces of any uniform size between the blades; for if that distance is not correctly adjusted an extra workpiece may be halted partly in front of the rear blade before the front blade moves to its releasing position, then movement of the rear blade to its passage obstructing position may thrust the workpieces between the blades forward in such a manner as to interfere with their proper flow along the runway.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a metering escapement which may be applied to either a straight or a curved runway, or to one which is partly straight and partly curved.

With these and other objects and advantages in view which will become apparent as the specification proceeds, the invention is hereinafter more fully described with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a section on the line 55 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 6 shows a slight modification wherein the metering escapement is mounted on a curved runway.

Referring to FIGURES 1 to 5, inclusive, 1 designates a straight runway consisting in the present instance of parallel guide rails 2 longitudinally between which a carrier rail 3 is provided along which workpieces A are adapted to travel. The runway, which is somewhat downwardly inclined in the direction in which the workpieces are adapted to travel may be supported in any preferred mannernot shown. The runway illustrated is of the hlhlhh i Patented July 27, 1965 type wherein longitudinal slots 4 are formed transversely through the rails 2 and 3 for the passage of bolts 5 on which spacers 6 are arranged for retaining the rails in spaced parallel relation throughout their length. 8 denotes a support plate, which is uniformly outwardly spaced from one of the guide rails 2 by spacers 7 and has vertically elongated openings 8a formed therethrough for the passage of the bolts 5 to permit adjustment of the said plate relative to the runway. The support plate which is higher than the guide plates 2 and projects above them also has two longitudinal rows of uniformly spaced openings 42 formed therethrough substantially parallel with the runway.

Secured-by bolts 9 extending through some of the openings 42 in the support plate 8 is a mounting 10 on which a cylinder assembly generally referred to by the number 11 is vertically supported with its axis substantially perpendicular to the runway 1. Spacer bars 12 on the bolts 9 between the plate 8 and the mounting 10 position the cylinder assembly so that its axis extends through the longitudinal center line of the runway 1. it will also be noted that a tie bar 13 which extends upwardly adjacent the outer face of the guide rail 2 remote from the support plate 3 is secured at its lower extremity against that guide rail by one of the bolts 5 while the upper extremity of the tie bar is fastened to the mounting 1G by one of the bolts 9, thereby insuring rigid support of the said mounting and its cylinder assembly 11.

Parallel with the runway 1 and longitudinally spaced from the mounting 1d is a stationary shoe 14 which is secured to the support plate 8 by bolts 16 extending through some of the openings 4-2. Mounted for sliding movement along a dovetail slot 14a formed in the face of the shoe remote from the support plate is a slide block 15 on which a cylinder assembly generally referred to by the numeral 17 and having its axis substantially perpendicular to the runway is supported. Spacing strips 1d are provided on the bolts 16 between the supportplate 8 and the shoe 14 to position the axis of the cylinder assembly 17 so that it extends through the longitudinal center, line of the runway. 13a denotes a tie but through the lower extremity of which one of the bolts 5 passes while the upper extremity of the tie bar is secured to the slide block .15 by a screw 15a. Secured transversely across the extremity of the shoe 14 remote from the mounting 1h is a block 19 through which a horizontal screw 20 is threaded. The outer extremity of this screw projects into an opening 21 formed in the adjacent extremity of the slide block 15 and has an annular groove 22 around its periphery to receive a pin 23 inserted thereinto and into the shoe. Thus upon rotation of the screw 25 the slide block is moved along the shoe thereby changing the spacing between the cylinder assemblies 11 and 17. A locking screw 24 is, in the present instance, threaded through the slide block 15 and is adapted to be tightened against the base of the dovetail slot 14a when the escapement is in use.

The cylinder assemblies 11 and 17, which are conventional, are identical and therefore the construction of only one of them is described. The assembly 11, or 17, includes a front head 27 which is secured to the mounting 10, or the slide block 15, by screws 28. Threaded into the front head is a rod bearing 29 through which a piston rod 30 extends, and threaded into the front head is a cylinder 31 having an integral rear head 31a which is closed. An O-ring 32 is provided on the front head against which the lower extremity of the cylinder 31 is tightened, and around the piston rod both within and above the rod bearing 29 O-rings 33 and 34 respectively are provided. A piston 35 is secured upon the rod 30 in the cylinder 31, and ports 36 and 37 extending through 3,1 ace-a the front head 27 and the rear head 31a, respectively,

are each provided for the admission and'discharge of fiuid under pressure to and from one end of the cylinder. Formed through the mounting and the slide block are substantially'vertical, parallel opening 10:: and 15a, respectively. Mounted on the lower extremity of each piston 35 is an escapement blade 38, or 39, which is mounted for reciprocation through the opening 100:, or 15a, respectively, Thus the two blades are maintained parallel to one another at all times.

44 denotes a well known type of double-acting fluid pressure valve having a.feed line 46 connected thereto and, in the present instance, two exhaust outlets 47. The mechanism (not shown) in the valve is, in this case, intermittently electrically operated by power supplied through wiring 45. Extending from the valve 44 are two piping connections 48 and 49. The connection 48 is connected by piping 50 to the port 36in the cylinder assembly 11 and by piping 50a to the port 37 in-the cylinder assembly 17, while the connection 49 is connected by piping 51 to the port 37 in the cylinder assembly 11 and by piping 51a to the port 36 in the cylinder assembly 17. The mechanism in the valve 44 alternately connects the feed line 46 to each of the connections 48 and 49, and simultaneously connects the other to one of the outlets 47.

When fluid under pressure passes through the connec tion 48 it flows through the port 36 in the cylinder assembly 11 and raises the blade 38, and also flows through the port 37 in the cylinder assembly 17 and lowers the blade 39. Then the blade 38 is positioned to permit work pieces A to flow to the left (FIGURE 2) past that blade While the other blade 39 prevents other workpieces to the right of it from entering the portion of the runway between the blades. Simultaneously fluid in thetop of the cylinder assembly 11 and in the bottomof the cylinder assembly 17 is exhausted through the connection 49 which is then connected to one of the outlets 47. The next time the valve 44 is actuated the blade 38 is lowered torits position 38a and the blade 39 is raised to its position 39a to permit passage of workpieces to fill the runway between the blades.

Due to the elongated vertical openings 8a through the support plate 8 the latter may be adjusted to the height necessary to support the cylinder assemblies 11 and 17 the required distance above the runway for proper functioning of the blades 38 and 39. Each blade when raised must be high enough to permit workpieces A to pass freely beneath it along the runway and when lowered must be positioned to halt advancing workpieces. Thus the vertical spacing of the mounting 10 and the slide block 15 above the runway must be setaccording to the height of the workpieces to be handled during any particular run. It will also be noted that vertically elongated openings 13b and 130 are formed through the tie bars 13 and 13a,

respectively, for the passage of two of the bolts 5 to permit adjusting of the distance between the said bolts and the fastening means employed for securing the upper extremities of the said tie bars to the mounting and slide block, respectively. Thus the tie bars add rigidity to the mounting and slide block and insure maintenance of the blades 38 and 39 substantialy perpendicular to the runway.

' Due :to the provisionof-the spaced openings 42 the mounting 1t and the stationary shoe 14 may be secured at approximately the desired distance apart to accommodate the required number of workpieces between theblades 38 and 39; Then by adjustment of the screw the blades maybe setat exactly the necessary spacing so that when the rear blade 39 is lowered it will move downward between two adjacent workpieces, for if it struck the top of a workpiece beneath it it would be liable to interfere with the free flow of workpieces when the front .blade 38 was raised.

In the modification shown in FIGURE 6 the runway 1e includingthe guide rails 2e and the carrier rail 32, as well as the support plate 8e are flexed about a common axis the runway is intersected by the last named axis. The

stationary shoe Me and the slide block 15:: thereon are somewhat exaggerated as to length for the sake of clarity. The maximum longitudinal adjustment of the slide block need only be one-half the distance between the adjacent pairs of holes 42:: so that in this instance too the cylinder assembly 17c in all adjusted positions of the slide block moves substantially through the longitudinal center line of the runway. It will also be noted that the escapement may be partly straight and partly arcuate, if necessary, to conform to the shape of the portion of a runway to which it is to be secured.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and shown it is understood that alterations and modifications may be made thereto provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What We claim is:

1. A metering escapement including a runway, 21 support plate adapted to be secured to said runway and held equidistant therefrom throughout its length, cylinder assemblies having pistons therein with piston rods projecting therefrom, a mounting secured to the support plate, one of the cylinder assemblies being fastened to said mounting, a stationary shoe secured to the support plate, said shoe being longitudinally spaced from the mounting, a slide block mounted for movement along the shoe, the other cylinder assembly being secured to said block, means for moving the block along the shoe to adjust the spacing between the cylinder assemblies, both the piston rods being substantially perpendicular to the runway and parallel to one another, a blade projecting from each piston rod, and means for simultaneously reciprocating the pistons inthe cylinder assemblies in opposite directions to one another whereby each blade in turn is positioned to obstruct the passage of workpieces along the runway.

2. A metering escapement comprising in combination a runway along which workpieces are adapted to be conveyed, support means fixedly mounted on said runway, a first cylinder mounted on said support means in fixed position and having a plate adapted to be reciprocated into and out of the path of travel of the workpieces on the runway, a 'shoe fixedly mounted on said support means and spaced lengthwise of the runway from said cylinder, a slide block mounted on said shoe for sliding movement toward and away from said cylinder, means for slidably adjusting said slide block and for retaining the slide block in fixed adjusted position on said shoe and a second cylinder fixedly mounted on the slide block and having a plate thereon adapted to project into and .out of the path of travel of the workpieces on the runway, whereby the spacing between the two blades of the cylinders can be fixedly mounted on said mounting member, said mounting member including a shoe provided with a guideway extending lengthwise of the runway, a slide block mounted in said guideway for sliding movement toward and away from said one cylinder, means for slidably adjusting the slide block and retaining it in adjusted position on said shoe, the other cylinder being fixedly mounted on said slide block whereby the two blades can be spaced apart accurately in accordance with the size of the workpieces being conveyed through the runway by slidably adjusting the slide block toward and away from said one cylinder.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3, wherein said mounting member comprises a plate having a plurality of regularly spaced holes therein extending lengthwise of the runway, said one cylinder and said shoe being mounted on said plate and spaced apart thereon in accordance with the approximate spacing desired between said blades by means extending through selected ones of said holes.

5. The combination set forth in claim 3, wherein said means for slidably adjusting the slide block on said shoe comprises a screw interconnecting said slide block and shoe, said screw being rotatable in opposite directions to slide the slide block in said guideway toward and away from said one cylinder.

6. The combination set forth in claim 3, wherein said mounting member comprises a plate having a plurality of regularly spaced holes therein extending lengthwise of the runway, said one cylinder and said shoe being mounted on said plate and spaced apart thereon in accordance with the approximate spacing desired between said blades by means extending through selected ones of said holes and wherein said means for slidably adjusting the slide block on said shoe comprises a screw interconnecting said slide block and shoe, said screw being rotatable in opposite directions to slide the slide block toward and away from said one cylinder.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6, wherein the length of said guideway is related to the size of said slide block such that the maximum sliding adjustment of the slide block in said guideway is equal to at least one-half the spacing between the holes in said plate.

8. A metering escapement comprising in combination a runway along which workpieces are adapted to be conveyed, a support plate mounted on said runway, said support plate extending lengthwise of the runway, being laterally oifset therefrom and being uniformly spaced from the runway throughout its length, said plate having a plurality of openings therein spaced uniformly along the runway, a pair of mounts secured to said plate in predetermined spaced relation along the runway by means extending through selected ones of said openings, said mounts overhanging the runway and being spaced thereabove, a cylinder fixedly mounted on one of said mounts and having a depending blade which is adapted to be reciprocated into and out of the path of travel of Workpieces in said runway, the other mount having a guideway therein extending lengthwise of the runwa a slide block mounted in said guideway and shiftable therein toward and away from said cylinder, a screw interconnecting the slide block and the last-mentioned mount for permitting accurate sliding adjustment of said slide block in said guideway, a cylinder fixedly mounted on said slide block and having a depending blade adapted to be reciprocated into and out of the path of travel of the workpieces in said runway whereby the approximate spacing desired between said blades is obtained by securing said mounts to said plate by means of selected ones of said openings in the plate and the accurate spacing desired between said blades is obtained by slidably adjusting said slide block on its mount by rotating and screw. 9. The combination set forth in claim 8, wherein said support plate has a plurality of vertically elongated openings therein, said last-mentioned openings being spaced lengthwise of the support plate and means on said runway extending through said openings and mounting said support plate on the runway for vertical adjustment.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,952,244 3/34 Grim 221-296 X 2,572,073 10/51 Strickland et a1. 221-293 X 2,656,962 10/53 Daniels 221-296 X 2,693,133 11/54 Moncrielf 221-298 X 2,731,131 1/56 Shannon 221-296 X 2,937,788 5/60 Darsie 221-298 2,993,623 7/61 Bendot 221-298 3,069,024 12/62 Penny 221-289 X RALIHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner. 

1. A METERING ESCAPEMENT INCLUDING A RUNWAY, A SUPPORT PLATE ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO SAID RUNWAY AND HELD EQUIDISTANT THEREFROM THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH, CYLINDER AS SEMBLIES HAVING PISTONS THEREIN WITH PISTON RODS PROJECTING THEREFROM, A MOUNTING SECURED TO THE SUPPORT PLATE, ONE OF THE CYLINDER ASSEMBLIES BEING FASTENED TO SAID MOUNTING, A STATIONARY SHOE SECURED TO THE SUPPORT PLATE, SAID SHOE BEING LONGITUDINALLY SPACED FROM THE MOUNTING, A SLIDE BLOCK MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT ALONG THE SHOE, THE OTHER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY BEING SECURED TO SAID BLOCK, MEANS FOR MOVING THE BLOCK ALONG THE SHOE TO ADJUST THE SPACING BETWEEN THE CYLINDER ASSEMBLIES, BOTH THE PISTONS RODS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE RUNWAY AND PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER, A BLADE PROJECTING FROM EACH PISTON ROD, AND MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY RECIPROCATING THE PISTONSS IN THE CYLINDER ASSEMBLIES IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TO ONE ANOTHER WHEREBY EACH BLADE IN TURN IS POSITIONED TO OBSTRUCT THE PASSAGE OF WORKPIECES ALONG THE RUNWAY. 